Monday, January 12, 2015

Thorns in the Blood: Episode II -- Blood In The Water

"Blood in the Water" from Sharks Diving

Silence
filled the air with a bittersweet symphony that was too cacophony to
be quiet. There was an oddness about it that was a little unfamiliar
to Xander. Normally he would walk down these slimy alleys that
smelled of piss and shit, not to mention the sewage that filtered up
from the bellows of the hell below the city. This smell would linger
upon Xander's nostrils like flies on rice, but this night it didn't.
This night Xander had all his attention on the blood diamond he now
held in his hands. It's delicate curvatures from the fine cuts upon
its surface shone a pure reflection of red upon his face. Almost like
there was a fire burning deep inside the wondrous gem. Or perhaps it
was his own desire that he felt. Either way he had a change of heart
that surely would make some new enemies. Then again Xander Cross was
well known for making enemies.

"Iron Gates" by Helen's Journal

By
the time he had arrived at the wrought iron gates, Xander knew he
would be facing hell's open gates sooner than later. “What do ya
know? Looks like someone is expecting me.” The mansion's garden had
a water fountain spouting out a red ichor that resembled blood, but
it was indeed a putrid dye from the city's horrible water plant. On
top of the fountain was an angel of mercy crying with tears of blood.
Surely a symbol that the big boss isn't someone to be screwed around
with. The whole time that Xander had worked for the Black Hand he
realized he was playing around with the big guys. No seriously, these
guys were ripped with muscle and have the scars to prove it.

Xander
took his time walking up the vine covered steps that led up to the
front door of his reckoning hour. He mapped out ever single route he
could take if anything “bad” would happen to him. One trade a
renown thief possessed was the ability to scout ahead for escape
routes. There were a couple opportune places that he could see.
Either he could escape to the roof of this abnormally tall mansion
and leap to his doom, or he could trek through the unbearable sewers
of the city's finest. “What have I gotten myself into?” Xander
kept his head low as he ascended to his doom. Just enough that he
could still see what was around him, but low enough that everyone
else couldn't see his cynical grin.

"Ugly Orc" from the Digital Art Gallery

Standing
before him was a tall, gruff, and ugly scruff of a man. His brows
furrowed downward and were bushier than an elephant's armpits. Xander
chuckled a little bit and the guard uncrossed his bulky arms. Black
Hand guards were known for strangling people to death, and Xander was
ready if that was about to happen. His dagger was only three inches
from his waist, and his hands were well hidden underneath his cloak's
garments to not give away his movement. The guard reached out and
Xander's heart rapidly thrusted forward as the adrenaline slowly
built within him. Next thing he knew, the guard was patting him down
looking for weapons. “Watch it there bud. Those precious jewels
aren't yours you know.” The guard didn't break for a single moment
from Xander's sarcasm. Without a single word the porch door swung
open, and Xander was ushered in.

“Welcome
to hell Xander,” he muttered to himself, “there is no going back
now.”

4 comments:

The fountain stays printed to the back of the eyes and front of the mind. Not just because of the uncanny color, but because the brain can't stop wondering about what made the water crimson and putrid...